After I built an art studio for her sister, Laurie Essig Schwab, Sally Odell, a California SKP (Escapee, to those familiar with an old Andy Griffith episode), was really beginning to miss the sunshine after her recent move to northwest Oregon. The lack of the irreplaceable sensation of the sun’s penetrating warmth can really affect a person, including people such as myself. So when she approached me asking if I could build her a place too, but one where she could take in the sun during those often cold and windy days that still have plenty of that life-giving, soul-nurturing sunlight… “Oh, yes indeed!” I exclaimed, “I too am very fond of taking every opportunity and excuse to bask.”
As it happened, I was in the process of building another enclosure using a novel truss system that is not only aesthetically appealing, but is actually very strong and stable. When she looked at what I was building, she said “I want that, whatever you call it holding up the roof.” I said it’s a ‘scissors truss’ because of the way it looks, it’s very strong and uses a minimum of materials. She said, “That’s what I want, when you have time, stop by and look at the property and see what you can do.” And… the rest is here on display.
Made of nearly 100% reclaimed materials, here it is looking nice and ready for a table, a few chairs, some hors d' oeuvres and a bottle of wine. Simple clean lines with minimal material is also fully portable and it even made a stopover at the 2017 Home & Garden Show at the St. Helens Fairgrounds before being dismantled and hauled over to its new home.
No internal framing, lightweight yet sturdy and sound. Note all of the wood is reclaimed decking, the stains of the old sealer and nail holes still present.
Observe closely the door, specifically the door knob. Originally a large operable window, if had too narrow a frame to mount a conventional door-set, so instead, I put the knob and latch on the wall and the catch on the door as seen in the below picture:
Using the remnants of an old oak cutting board, I manufactured the latch and catch of the door and made it fit by mounting the assembly on the wall. Crazy, but functional.
First built at my old 6th street location, it is so easily moved that I dismantled it and took it to our front yard for display before taking down again and setting up at the Home & Garden Show before I took it to its final home at Sally’s place.
The below picture is our booth at the 2017 St. Helens Home & Garden Show.